High school football: Carthage of Texas finishes No. 1 in final Small Town Top 25 rankings

The 2022 season was a monumental one for Carthage (Texas) and coach Scott Surratt. Besides tying Gordon Wood for the most Texas state championships with nine, Surratt also went over 200 career wins and posted his 71st playoff win.

Carthage, meanwhile, joined Katy with the second-highest number of state championships in Texas with nine (Aledo also won a state title in 2022 to give them an all-time best of 11). In winning the Texas Class 4A Division 2 state, the Bulldogs also claimed the No. 1 ranking in the final MaxPreps Small Town National Football Rankings.

Carthage is one of 16 Texas teams in the Small Town Top 50. China Spring, the Class 4A Division 1 champion, comes in at No. 3 while Gunter, the Class 3A Division 2 champion is No. 6 and Franklin, the Class 3A Division 1 champ is No. 7.

Pierce (Neb.) is the No. 2 team while a pair of Ohio teams, South Range (Canfield) and Marion Local (Maria Stein) are No. 4 and 5 respectively.

Small town teams are those with an enrollment of less than 1,000 in a town with a population of less than 10,000 people. Teams are ranked by their MaxPreps computer rating. Schools are listed with their overall season record, their team rating and their season finish.
Final Small Town Top 25 high school football rankings

1. (Last time 3) Carthage (Texas)
Record/Rating: 16-0, 62.1
Finish: Texas Class 4A-II champion

2. (1)  Pierce (Neb.)
Record/Rating: 13-0, 58.6
Finish: Nebraska Class C1 champion

3. (2)  China Spring (Texas)
Record/Rating: 15-1, 57.4
Finish: Texas Class 4A-I champion

4. (NR) South Range (Canfield, Ohio)
Record/Rating: 16-0, 55.3
Finish: Ohio Class V champion

5. (4) Marion Local (Maria Stein, Ohio)
Record/Rating: 16-0, 53.9
Finish: Ohio Class VI champion

6. (11) Gunter (Texas)
Record/Rating: 16-0, 53.4
Finish: Texas Class 3A-II champion

7. (13) Franklin (Texas)
Record/Rating: 16-0, 52.6
Finish: Texas Class 3A-I champion

8. (NR) Aliquippa (Pa.)
Record/Rating: 13-1, 51.2
Finish: Pennsylvania Class AAAA runnerup

9. (5) Aurora (Neb.)
Record/Rating: 12-1, 49.9
Finish: Nebraska Class C1 champion

10. (NR) Morgan (Utah)
Record/Rating: 13-0, 49.4
Finish: Utah Class 3A champion

11. (24) Swainsboro (Ga.)
Record/Rating: 13-1, 49.0
Finish: Georgia Class A D1 runnerup

12. (NR) Hawley (Texas)
Record/Rating: 16-0, 48.5
Finish: Texas Class 2A-1 champion

13. (14) Andale (Kan.)
Record/Rating: 13-0, 47.7
Finish: Kansas Class 3A champion

14. (NR) Central Lyon/George-Little Rock (Rock Rapids, Iowa)
Record/Rating: 13-0, 46.8
Finish: Iowa Class 2A champion

15. (6) Gilmer (Texas)
Record/Rating: 11-1, 46.1
Finish: Texas Class 4A-II third round

16. (7) Van Meter (Iowa)
Record/Rating: 12-1, 45.9
Finish: Iowa Class 1A champion

17. (22) Louisville (Miss.)
Record/Rating: 14-1, 45.7
Finish: Mississippi Class 4A champion

18. (9) Harlan (Iowa)
Record/Rating: 12-1, 45.5
Finish: Iowa Class 3A champion

19. (15) Bennington (Neb.)
Record/Rating: 13-0, 45.0
Finish: Nebraska Class B champion

20. (18) Kirtland (Ohio)
Record/Rating: 15-1, 44.2
Finish: Ohio Class VI runner-up

21. (NR) Hawthorne (Fla.)
Record/Rating: 12-0, 44.2
Finish: Florida Class 1R champion

22. (20) Irwin County (Ocilla, Ga.)
Record/Rating: 11-2, 43.5
Finish: Georgia Class 1A-D1 semifinalist

23. (NR) Brock (Texas)
Record/Rating: 11-5, 43.1
Finish: Texas Class 3A-I runner-up

24. (NR) Columbus (Texas)
Record/Rating: 12-2, 42.6
Finish: Texas Class 3A-I quarterfinalist

25. (10) Rabun County (Tiger, Ga.)
Record/Rating: 12-1, 42.4

26. (NR) Cuero (Texas)
Record/Rating: 13-2, 42.1
Finish: Texas Class 4A-II semifinalist

27. (17) Fitzgerald (Ga.)
Record/Rating: 14-1, 41.9
Finish: Georgia Class AA runner-up

28. (23) Sugar-Salem (Sugar City, Idaho)
Record/Rating: 11-0, 41.3
Finish: Idaho Class 3A champion

29. (21) Boone Central (Albion, Neb.)
Record/Rating: 9-3, 41.3

30. (NR) Glen Rose (Texas)
Record/Rating: 13-2, 41.0
Finish: Texas Class 4A-II semifinalist

31. (NR) Leavitt (Turner, Maine)
Record/Rating: 11-0, 40.8
Finish: Maine Class C champion

32. (16) Pahokee (Fla.)
Record/Rating: 9-3, 40.6
Finish: Florida Class 1R quarterfinalist

33. (NR) Lena-Winslow (Lena, Ill.)
Record/Rating: 14-0, 40.4
Finish: Illinois Class 1A champion

34. (NR) Grundy Center (Iowa)
Record/Rating: 13-0, 40.2
Finish: Iowa Class A champion

35. (NR) Whitesboro (Texas)
Record/Rating: 11-2, 40.2
Finish: Texas Class 3A-I quarterfinalist

36. (NR) Wimberley (Texas)
Record/Rating: 15-1, 40.0
Finish: Texas Class 4A-II runnerup

37. (NR) Barnesville (Minn.)
Record/Rating: 13-0, 39.9
Finish: Minnesota Class AA champion

38. (25) Silsbee (Texas)
Record/Rating: 13-1, 39.8
Finish: Texas Class 4A-II quarterfinalist

39. (NR) Whitehall (Mich.)
Record/Rating: 11-1, 39.8
Finish: Michigan Class 4 quarterfinalist

40. (NR) Gladwin (Mich.)
Record/Rating: 14-0, 39.7
Finish: Michigan Class 5 champion

41. (NR) Central Valley (Monaca, Pa.)
Record/Rating: 11-2, 39.7
Finish: Pennsylvania Class AAA semifinalist

42. (NR) Refugio (Texas)
Record/Rating: 14-2, 38.7
Finish: Texas Class 2A-I runner-up

43. (NR) Belle Vernon (Pa.)
Record/Rating: 12-2, 38.7
Finish: Pennsylvania Class AAA champion

44. (NR) Wagoner (Okla.)
Record/Rating: 11-3, 38.4
Finish: Oklahoma Class 4A champion

45. (NR) Cushing (Okla.)
Record/Rating: 13-1, 38.1
Finish: Oklahoma Class 4A runner-up

46. (NR) Bradford (Starke, Fla.)
Record/Rating: 11-2, 38.0
Finish: Florida Class 2S semifinalist

47. (NR) Raleigh (Miss.)
Record/Rating: 14-1, 37.9
Finish: Mississippi Class 3A champion

48. (NR) Malakoff (Texas)
Record/Rating: 13-2, 37.8
Finish: Texas Class 3A-I semifinalist

49. (NR) West Sioux (Hawarden, Iowa)
Record/Rating: 11-2, 37.2
Finish: Iowa Class 1A runnerup

50. (NR) Bellville (Texas)
Record/Rating: 11-1, 37,1
Finish: Texas Class 4A-II second round

50. (NR) Independence (Coal City, W. Va.)
Record/Rating: 13-0, 37.1
Finish: West Virginia Class AA champion